Lullaby
by Himura Okami-chan
Summary: It's Destiny - as our favorite Wolf says, Virginia and Wolf were destined to be together - takes place in V & W's childhoods
1. Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my ideas, Shawn owns his song, Simon Moore owns his characters, ect. Please don't steal anything, thanks!! And if you think I'm making money for doing this, you are crazy!!  
  
A/N: Just FYI - character's thoughts are enclosed in stars (like this *thought!!*) With that said..  
  
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Chapter 1 - "Everything's Going To Be Alright"  
  
"She can't let go and she can't relax And just before she hangs her head to cry I sing to her a lullaby, I sing Everything's gonna be all right rockabye, rockabye Everything's gonna be all right rockabye, rockabye, rockabye"  
  
"And all her friends tell her, she's so pretty But she'd be a whole lot prettier If she smiled once in a while 'cause even her smile looks like a frown She's seen her share of devils In this angel town But, everything's gonna be all right rockabye, rockabye Everything's gonna be all right rockabye, rockabye, rockabye" ~ Shawn Mullins  
  
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Through the darkness around her, Virginia could clearly see her mother's smiling face beckoning to her. She ran forward eagerly, reaching out her hands to grasp her mother. Finally something made sense and seemed sure in the confusion around her. She reached her mother and was rewarded by a comforting hug. Her mother's arms felt protective and safe. They wrapped around her and held her firmly. And then, suddenly, everything went wrong. The arms no longer felt like protection. They were a trap - a trap that was drawing her in and down. Her mother was forcing her down and holding here there.  
  
She couldn't breathe.........she was going to die!  
  
Virginia sat up in bed - it was only a dream. She glanced over at the Snow White alarm clock her parents had given her for her 7th Birthday only three days ago. Somehow seeing Snow White there comforted Virginia. It was 2:15 in the morning. She was still breathing hard as she gulped in the cool air of her bedroom.  
  
"Ginney honey! Are you okay?" Christine poked her head around Virginia's door.  
  
"Yes, Mommy," Virginia replied. "I just had a bad dream."  
  
"Oh, poor baby," Christine cooed as she came and sat down beside Virginia on the bed. "Here, let mommy make it all better." She stroked Virginia's head gently and hugged her.  
  
"Is there anything you need, sweetie?" Christine asked.  
  
"Actually I'm a little hungry."  
  
"How bout a snack then, honey?" Christine said. "You stay here and I'll get you a yummy snack." She patted Virginia's head and walked out of the room. A few minutes later she returned with a brilliant red apple in her hand.  
  
"Here you go Ginney," Christine said as she handed the apple to her daughter. Virginia smiled as she took the apple and bit into it. The fear from the dream, all but dispersed by her mother's care, came flooding back over Virginia. She felt the same lack of oxygen as her throat closed tightly over the apple chunk in her mouth. She looked helplessly towards her mother's cheerful face. *Why can't she see something's wrong?* Virginia thought desperately. *Her only daughter is dying and she doesn't even notice!* Virginia felt tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. She wanted to let the pain out. If only she could breath. If only she could let her breath out. She wanted to scream!  
  
"Ginney, honey! What's wrong?" Her fathers' panicked voice brought Virginia fully awake. "Are you alright? You were screaming." Tony looked as worried as he sounded as he walked over to Virginia's bed.  
  
"I...it was...I don't..." Virginia was half sobbing as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. "I guess it was a bad dream," she finally said. "I was choking and Mommy was there but she couldn't see that I was hurt and she was." Virginia stopped at the sudden realization. "She was comforting me after a bad dream!" Then waking up the first time must have been a dream too. Virginia hadn't believed that you could dream you'd woken up, but it must have happened to her. Especially because her mother had been acting so strangely. She'd actually been there for Virginia. Christine had acted just like she would have in Virginia's perfect world - until the end. In the end she didn't pay any attention to her daughter. Just like most of real life.  
  
Virginia fell back onto her pillow and rolled over so her father wouldn't see the tears that were forming in her eyes. Through her blurred vision she could see Snow White on her bedside table. The clock was pointing to 1:28 am, and Virginia felt a pang of regret that she had gotten her father up in the middle of the night again. Still, it wasn't like she asked to have nightmares.  
  
Even though she had tried to hide her tears, Tony knew she crying softly. He reached over and rubbed Virginia's back slowly. "It's okay, honey! I'm here now. Everything's going to be all right. Everything's going to be all right." 


	2. Just Before She Hangs Her Head To Cry

Chapter 2 - "Just Before She Hangs Her Head To Cry"  
  
Tony walked softly down the hall towards his and Christine's bedroom. He sighed. *Poor Virginia,* he thought. *She keeps having these dreams, these dreams about Christine...* Tony corrected himself, *these Nightmares about Christine. But why?*  
  
Tony shook his head, he knew why. Even if he wouldn't admit it to himself or anyone else, and despite his hopes, his pleads, and his prayers, Christine was not a mother. In fact, she wasn't doing too well as a wife either. *But that can't be her fault. I must be doing something wrong...* But it was so hard to take care of a daughter and a wife, especially as he was struggling to keep his business thriving. Not that he was in too much danger, yet, but he had to be careful with his next couple of investments. *Oh well,* Tony thought, as he crawled into bed next to his wife. *These are problems for the daylight. Right now I need some sleep.* He rolled over, shut his eyes, and SNAP, the light on Christine's bedside table came on.  
  
"Anthony?" The tone of her voice warned Tony that it would be stupid to pretend he was already asleep. It would be much better for him to respond. He groaned inwardly then shifted in bed so that he could see Christine's pale face surrounded by locks of silky red hair. He couldn't help staring at his wife; her beauty still impressed him. Her large green eyes were chilly as they looked at him, but even in her anger her lips were begging to be kissed.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You really shouldn't pamper her like that. Now, I know you think you're doing the right thing," Christine continued over Tony's mumbled protests. "But really! These nightmares of hers are just getting out of control. And you're only encouraging them!"  
  
" She's our daughter, Christine! And we need to take care of her."  
  
"Well why don't you try giving her sleeping pills or something!" Christine snapped. Tony noticed that her eyes held a dangerous and unusual fire. "I'm getting headaches from all the screaming going on!"  
  
"Trin?! What are you saying?" Tony would have been furious, but he loved his wife too much.  
  
"Oh, I don't know!" Christine said, slightly annoyed but strangely comforted that he'd used her pet name. "Sometimes I just get so mad that I'm not perfect, that I don't have a perfect life, a perfect daughter. Why?! Why don't I have perfection? Don't I deserve it? I've tried so hard!!" Christine was hysterical now, but her eyes were losing their fire.  
  
Tony reached over and grabbed her tightly. "Hush honey," he whispered in her ear. "It's going to be okay. We'll be perfect together, if you just wait. It'll all be okay."  
  
Christine crumpled against him; wanting to believe him, needing to believe him. But she found it hard to forget her obsession with perfection. The images of that old woman she'd met in the park kept flashing through her mind. She was saying the same thing over and over. 'I can give you everything you've ever wished for...'. She was reaching out her hand to Christine, but Christine was terrified of the old women. She wasn't ready to go with her yet.  
  
Christine didn't know who that old woman was, but she had started to wish that she had never met her. She had been taking a walk through Central Park a few weeks ago when an old woman dressed in rags had stepped out on the path in front of her. On her fingers were beautiful rings, and Christine found herself staring at them. When she finally had looked at the rest of the old lady she had been horrified by her ugliness. The old woman had laughed ruefully at Christine's horror; she said that she had once been beautiful and young, but now all that was left was her power and her jewels. *Still,* Christine thought *those are something. And those rings were so lovely...* But the old hag's face and her crusty voice haunted Christine. Even for those rings and the perfection she promised Christine didn't ever want to see her again.  
  
Christine pressed her face firmly into Tony's wide shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the image of that witch from her mind. Slowly, ever so slowly, sleep came to Christine and Tony felt her relax. He gently laid her head down on the pillow next to him, turned out the lights, and snuggled under the covers next to his wife. He felt for her hand and squeezed it, as much to reassure himself as to comfort her. 


	3. She's Seen Her Share of Devils

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my ideas, not Virginia, not Tony, not Christine, not Robin Hood, not even the bouncy castles. I do however own Jason and, although she really doesn't matter, Chloe. Also, let it be known that I'm not making any money whatsoever for writing this...hmmm...guess I should look into that problem! :-p  
  
A/N : Sorry it's been so long in coming but chapters 4 and 5 are almost done so I promise more will be up soon!  
  
Chapter 3 - "She Seen Her Share of Devils"  
  
Tony was sitting at his desk working when he heard a knock on his door. It annoyed him, because just them he was trying to finish his production report so he could go home to the girls early. He was hoping to surprise them and maybe they could all curl up on the sofa in the den for a movie after dinner. He didn't really have time to be interrupted.  
  
"Come in," he said without taking his eyes off of his work, and letting a little of the annoyance he felt into his voice.  
  
"Ummm...sir?" Tony recognized the hesitant voice of his Head of Finance, Jason Walters, and looked up. Jason's face was whiter than new fallen snow and little beads of perspiration were rolling down his forehead.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Tony's voice echoed the concern etched on Jason's face.  
  
"You know how you told me to re-invest the profits from the Bouncy Castles to develop the new Robin Hood line?" He paused and waited for Tony to nod before continuing. "Well ... the Hood castles are a flop ... only 300 were finished and those don't hold the air that well. We were rushing them through production too fast ... we didn't run the quality checks like we should have. The demand went to our heads." Jason lowered his head. "I'm sorry, sir."  
  
"It's...it's all right," Tony heard himself say. "Somehow we'll get through this. It'll be all right."  
  
Slowly, Tony got up from his desk and walked towards the door of his office. He took the finance reports from Jason's outstretched hand and glanced at them shakily. It was all there. Jason wasn't overreacting on bit. The red ink on the page jumped out at Tony's eyes like the brightest flames though they gave him no warmth. Tony's once-Million-dollar company was going bankrupt! He walked over to his desk phone and paged his secretary, Chloe.  
  
"Call a meeting at 9 tomorrow morning for all Heads of departments," Tony said briskly, hoping Chloe wouldn't notice that anything was wrong. The last thing he needed right now was a panic.  
  
"Yes, sir," Chloe said and hung up the phone.  
  
Tony glanced over at Jason. Both of their faces were gaining some color back but Tony suddenly felt like he was going to throw-up. "I'm going home," he told Jason as he walked out the door of his office. "Tell everyone to go home..." Jason nodded and Tony turned and walked down the hallway mumbling as much to himself as to Jason "It's all right...everything's going to be all right."  
  
Somehow Tony made it out to his car and safely home. By the time he reached his front door his mind had cleared and a plan had started to form in the back of his mind. He still had the other castle lines and there was that new branch in climbers they had started recently. They were both showing promise. If he could just cancel the Hood line, pull money from some other lines and get the climbers on solid ground the company might just squeak through.  
  
"Hmmm...." Tony could almost smile at the irony of it being the Robin Hood line that was losing money for him. Almost. *Guess he really does steal from the rich!* Tony thought. He opened the front door, walked in and hung his coat in the front closet.  
  
"Trin? Ginney?! I'm home," he called. Normally, the girls would come rushing up to him as soon as they heard him come in. It was one of his favorite times of the day. Hugging the two most important people in his life always reminded him of why he got up at 5 every morning and went to work to support them. Today, however, there was no sound of running feet. In fact, the house was strangely still. The only sound Tony heard was the bathtub being filled upstairs. *Strange,* thought Tony. *Normally Christine doesn't take baths during the day and Virginia only takes baths before bed.* He didn't let it worry him too much though, probably Christine was just stressed out over something and wanted to relax while soaking in the bath. As he thought this over, Tony walked up to the bathroom door and knocked.  
  
"Trin? Ginney?!" There was no answer. He knocked a little harder and called out "Virginia? Christine?" Still no answer. He reached down and turned the doorknob. A small gasp escaped from the room he was about to enter. Tony pushed on the door and walked into the bathroom. 


	4. Can't Let Go, Can't Relax

Chapter 4 – "Can't Let Go....Can't Relax"  
  
Wolf moaned and rolled over in his sleep. No matter how he lay he couldn't get comfortable. He tossed about but all he succeeded in doing was waking himself up. He looked around at the surrounding forest and was momentarily disoriented. Why wasn't he back at home, in his bed, with his parents, and ...? His parents! Now he remembered, although he wished he hadn't. *They were ...* he couldn't bring himself to think "dead' – even that would have been to final. *They were burned by those cruel, awful, horrible farmers. Burned because they were wolves...because he was a wolf and she was a wolf- lover.* Wolf understood this but somewhere knew that a 7-year-old boy, even if he was part wolf, should not understand human cruelty. He felt that it would be much better for him if he didn't have a reason for his parents' deaths.  
  
As he stared into the darkness around Wolf became aware of a shimmering in the bushes off to his left. He swung towards the light, but the hairs on the back of his neck didn't stand up. His wolf senses were telling him that he was in no danger, and as Wolf looked more closely at the glowing form materializing out of the shrubs he realized why.  
  
Snow White stood there, in all her glory, shining and peaceful. Wolf starred, his mouth dropped and he was rooted to his place. Even thought he, like every other inhabitant of the nine kingdoms knew that Snow White was a fairy godmother who sometimes appeared to those who needed guidance he never imagined that he would ever see her. *After all,* he thought, *I'm a half-wolf, and why would Snow White ever have anything to do with half-wolves?*  
  
While these thoughts had been flashing through Wolf's head Snow White had been slowly moving toward him. Now she was close enough to reach out and touch his shoulder, which she did, lying a hand on his left shoulder so gently that he barely felt the weight of it. Yet from the first moment she touched him a strange sense of calm surged through Wolf's body. He was relaxed for the first time since his parent's deaths. They stood in that position for some moments until Snow White broke the silence.  
  
"You are in pain, Wolf." He just nodded in answer. "Too much pain for someone so young," she continued. "You have suffered much, and I would take all of the pain away, if I could." Wolf lifted his eyes up to her face and she smiled sadly down at him.  
  
"Can't you?" he asked half hopefully, half desperately.  
  
"No," she shook her head. "That is beyond even my powers. What has been done has been done and I cannot undo it. I can only help you to deal with it." She drew Wolf close in her arms and held him tightly to her body with one hand behind his head.  
  
"My mother used to hold me like this," Wolf said trying to hold back tears.  
  
"I know," said Snow White. "You have not cried over your parents' deaths, have you Wolf?" He shook his head. "Come, shed the tears that are behind your eyes, they want to fall, let them."  
  
Wolf shook his head again. "No, I'm going to be strong. I'm not going to cry. I'm going to be strong so I can avenge my mama and papa's deaths. I'm going to be strong so I can kill all of those stupid farmers when I grow up."  
  
"Wolf," said Snow White, forcing Wolf's head up to look into her face. "It is okay to cry, you need to let out the pain and the anger that is inside of you. If you don't you won't grow up to do anything. Just because you cry doesn't mean you are not strong. It's okay. I'm here."  
  
Wolf buried his face farther into Snow White's body; he didn't want anyone to see the tears that were escaping from his eyes despite his best efforts. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block the memories that were coursing through his body, but somehow they only became clearer.  
  
He saw his mother standing next to him, felt her squeezing his hand and heard her telling him to be strong. He heard his father saying goodbye and he felt the strong arms that had encircled him for the last time. He saw them walking away with their heads held high as the guards escorted them to the prison. He saw them tied to the stake, holding onto the others hand, willing the other to be brave. He saw the hate in the farmer's faces as they stacked the wood up high and threw the torch onto the faggots. He saw flames leap high in to the night sky engulfing his parent's bodies and separating them from him forever. He saw a single tear fall down his mother's cheek. The tear blurred with his own tears and now he saw his parents, enshrined in light, walking towards him.  
  
"Wolf....Wolf listen to me," his mother's voice called softly to Wolf.  
  
"Mama?!" Wolf was confused. He pulled away from Snow White and swung his head around frantically trying to find his mother. "Mama, where are you?"  
  
"I am with you Wolf, inside you always, though I am dead. I will never leave you, and even if you cry I will only grow stronger in you're heart."  
  
"Wolf," this time it was his father's voice, gentle but stern. "I was never able to teach you the proper way to morn. You must be strong, but you cannot keep everything inside. When a wolf dies the pack howls for the death, you must do this also. Do not hold your anger inside."  
  
His parent's voices and their images in his mind faded away until only Wolf and Snow White were left facing each other. She drew him into her arms once again and rocked him slowly. This time Wolf did not try to stop the tears. He simply let them spill out, and with each tear a little of the pain and grief inside of him fell away and splashed on the ground. When he was done and his eyes were dry once more, he threw his head back and howled his anguish to the moon. He had never learned how to morn the wolven way, but something in him knew what to say to the moon, and the moon knew how to respond. She beamed her comforting rays upon his head and encircled his body in a comforting halo of light.  
  
Snow White came over and sat down next to Wolf in the middle of the clearing. "Do you feel better," she asked.  
  
"Mmmmhmmm," Wolf mumbled.  
  
"Now I want you to sleep. Your body needs rest to become strong, and you will need to become strong. Your life will not be easy Wolf, and I cannot be there to help you. You have a great destiny, but you will have to fight many wars and pass through many trials before you achieve it." She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting. "I know that you are confused, but right now you need to sleep. Anything else I say will not make any more sense. Besides, you will remember nothing of this in the morning."  
  
"But why not?" Wolf was upset and alarmed by her last comment. "Why can't I remember that I saw you? Is it because I'm a half-wolf?"  
  
"No," Snow White looked deep into his eyes and he understood that she at least did not care whether he had wolf blood or not. "It is because I cannot change your destiny, and if you remembered that I was here, you would not follow the right path. I promise you that it is for the best. Don't worry, I will visit you again in your dreams, and in your dreams you will be allowed to remember everything and to rest soundly. That is the only comfort I am allowed to give you, I hope it will be enough."  
  
"Thank you," Wolf said. He reached over hugged Snow White. She smiled and then laid him gently down on the ground.  
  
"Now sleep," she said. She bent over and kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes and was immediately immersed in the deepest and most cleansing sleep of his life. Snow smiled down at the sleeping figure and turned away. As she disappeared back into the forest Snow thought, *If only he didn't have to live this part of his life, if only she didn't. They are both so young and helpless.*  
  
The next morning Wolf woke up feeling like he'd slept for thousands of years, but the pain of his parent's deaths was not as heavy on him as when he'd fallen asleep yesterday evening. A feeling of calm he couldn't explain pervaded him and as he traveled through the woods that day he felt like he could keep walking forever and ever. 


End file.
